Who We Are

The wotwine? tasting team is a glorious blend of wine professionals and technologists from various backgrounds and vintages. Listed below in alphabetical order:

Dee Blackstock MW isa member of our tasting team and has been a Master of Wine since 1992. Dee’s career in the wine trade has spanned some 30 years, including over 20 years’ as a buyer at Waitrose. She is currently a member of the Government Wine Advisory Committee, and additionally she judges in a number of the main wine competitions as well as winning a few herself including Lifetime Achievement Award in The Drinks Business Awards in 2012 as well as Best Multiple Champagne Buyer of the Year in 2011 at the Harpers Wine & Spirit Champagne Summit.

Christopher Burr MW is one of the founders of wotwine? and leads the tasting team. He has been a Master of Wine since 1995 and has held senior management positions in both the wine and brewing industries. He was also International Head of Wine for the prestigious Christie’s auctioneers, but don’t worry – he can still sniff out a bargain bottle! Christopher also advises wine collectors around the world and works as a consultant to a number of wine producers in France, Italy, Croatia and the UK.

Nick Clarke MW is a member of our tasting team, has over 50 years’ experience in the drinks industry and has been a Master of Wine since 1971. He started his career at one of the oldest wine merchants in the world, Hedges & Butler and went on to run the UK wine interests of Distillers Corporation of South Africa and become Sales Director of esteemed UK wine merchant OW Loeb. He also purchased Dreyfus Ashby & Co from Guinness which he then formed into one of the leading purveyors of fine wine in the world.

Charlie Culliford is a member of our tasting team and when he is not cogitating on the latest Tesco Sancerre for us he is a sommelier for leading London restaurant Bibendum. Charlie is also completing his studies for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma.

Nancy Gilchrist MW is member of our tasting team and leader of Christie’s Wine Education as well as a lecturer at Leith’s School of Food & Wine. She has been a Master of Wine since 1995 and is often guest lecturer on Voyages to Antiquity cruises. She is also a specialist speaker for champagne houses and was UK Champagne Ambassador 2012.

Nayan Gowda is a member of our tasting team. A winemaker by trade, Nayan has made wines for large and small producers from Australia to Ukraine and Hungary to Kazakhstan. Having originally done a stint as a chef at the famous Ivy restaurant Nayan discovered that his true passion was wine over food. Nayan is an alumnus of the eminent Adelaide University winemaking course and when he is not tasting with us he is also managing his own consultancy, Vinosity.

Alex Tilling is a member of our tasting team. She has recently been awarded Young Wine Writer of the Year from Decanter magazine and is currently studying for her Master of Wine qualification so she can be one of the very few! Alex also trained as an assistant winemaker at various South African wineries and was formerly a Sales Executive for a leading UK importer and wholesaler Bancroft Wines.

Linda Jotham MW is member of our tasting team and has been a Master of Wine since 2001. She holds the Bollinger Medal for Excellence in Wine Tasting awarded by the Institute of Masters of Wine; is a former member of the Institute’s Council and is very much involved in wine education. She is also a qualified lawyer and teacher and is a Senior Lecturer in Law at City University London.

Yan Li is a member of our tasting team. Shehas been working as a sales developer for a leading Italian wine producer for over 3 years. Yan has an IT background, but her passion for wine led her to a completely new career and she is currently studying for her Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma.

Ashika Mathews is a member of our tasting team. She is a wine educator, MW student and wine blogger. Her business, London Love Wine runs tastings, events, trips & courses – including WSET up to level 3 – and is the fruit of many years experience in the wine trade as a wine maker, writer, event organiser, buyer and trader.

Aline Moulin is a member of our tasting team. Aline comes from a wine making family and has been producing wines in the Jura region for twenty years. She has also worked in the wine trade in France, Japan, Hong Kong and China, distributing and representing over 300 wineries in Asia. When Aline is not tasting with us, she manages her digital agency advising luxury brands on their online presence in emerging countries.

Robin Navzarov is a member of our tasting team. A US citizen, she is a talented wine writer, book reviewer and is over in the UK studying to complete her MW.

João Pires MSis a member of our tasting team. He is also a Master Sommelier (a title reached by less than 200 people in the world) so if he can’t make a suggestion then no-one else can! He has worked for some of the most famous restaurants in the world, including Alain Ducasse, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Ramsay’s. He was awarded Best International Sommelier of the Year in 2004 and the Grand Prix du Sommelier in 2009, by renowned International Academy of Gastronomy in Paris.

Orsi Szentkiralyiis our esteemedTasting and Database Manager here at wotwine? Sheleft the glamorous world of posh restaurants and luxury wine shops behind (having previously worked at two Michelin starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and award-winning Hedonism Wines in Mayfair) to join our team and help everyone find great wines, regardless of their budget. In her free time she is preparing for her Master Sommelier exam.